Face Your Demons
by Beccatdemon13
Summary: While she had never really stopped to think about it three things could sum up her life: grief, pain, anger. It was a need for vengeance that kept her moving but deep in the back of her mind she knew that it wouldn't change a thing.
1. Lay to Waste

**Face Your Demons**

**By: Beccatdemon13**

**©2011**

**Disclaimer: **Please insert witty I-don't-own-shit here. Blah, blah, blah, don't sue me I'm broke…seriously it's sad.

**Synopsis: **While she had never really stopped to think about it three things could sum up her life: grief, pain, anger. It was a need for vengeance that kept her moving but deep in the back of her mind she knew that it wouldn't change a thing. That even if she found the man who destroyed her life and that of her brother's he still would've done it. Nothing they did could change the past.

**Author's Note:** Character concepts are posted on my profile. And I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that this will be seriously AU.

**Chapter One: Lay to Waste**

Judith Lehnsherr was a product of the environment she had been exposed to. When she was only three years old, the Gestapo came to the Warta, Poland. It was a medium sized town that had a nice Jewish population. The invasion of Poland in 1939 would change the lives of every single soul in the World. While Judith was only a toddler she did have memories of that night: cries of terror and people shouting orders, dogs barking, and the tight grip of her mother's hand as the Lehnsherr family stayed together.

The rundown apartment was filled to capacity with three other families. Space and food was limited but at least the three families knew one another from town. They were no longer allowed to worship or children were no longer allowed to go to school. Some of the elder members of the ghetto were defiant in the face of that, making sure that the younger generations would know their culture, their religion, and become educated in general.

The ghetto was filthy, food was sparse, and diseases ran rampant. When the first winter hit, a lot of people died. And, the survivors couldn't even mourn, let alone bury their dead. Feces and corpses littered the streets. One of the first memories Judith had was running through the streets after curfew and sliding through an opening in the brick to grab food from outside the ghetto and bring it back. If she had been caught, she would've been killed. But, they had to eat. It was a battle for survival.

The Lehnsherr family stayed in the Warsaw Ghetto for four years. In 1944, the entire family was taken from the ghetto and loaded into cattle cars. Nearly six thousand people were packed on that one train. It was a direct response to the uprising that was staged by the Jewish resistance. The conflict lasted nearly a month before the Nazis ruthlessly crushed it, killing thousands of people and shipping innocent bystanders: mainly women and children straight to Auschwitz. The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising would eventually be known as the single biggest result staged by the Jews in the holocaust.

The conditions in the cattle car was terrifying for eight-year-old Jude. Filled with strangers and a disgusting odor, she didn't exactly know what to make of what was happening. People bumped into her, and she stayed glued to either her parent's or her older brother's side. If she were to be separated, she might never see her family again. There were no lights, so one could barely see their hand in front of their own faces. In those cattle cars, people panicked and fought. There were Nazis riding on the roof, to make sure anyone who tried to escape would be shot. That didn't stop people from leaping out of the moving train anyway.

When the train ground to a halt the doors were immediately thrown open. The first thing that greeted the people on the trains were fences and pouring rain. Floodlights illuminated the compound every couple feet. Smoke was heavy in the air. Soldiers were everywhere. Some were holding batons striking people to get them moving; others carried vicious dogs that tried to bite those who got to close.

"Come on!" The Nazis barked. "Quickly!"

"Stay together," Edie Lehnsherr whispered to her children. "Come quickly, now."

Both Lehnsherr children grabbed on another's hands after they followed after their parents. It was hard to walk the ground was muddy and people shoved one another trying to avoid the Nazis with batons and bullwhips. They were herded through a small walkway with fences on either side, barbed wire curled around the top. There were also watchtowers, holding soldiers with guns aimed at innocent people. One moment Jude was with her family, the next a soldier had swooped in and picked her up carrying her over to the side of the fence.

"No!" Jude screamed. "Mama! Papa!"

Jude's parents were trying to get to her but the movement of the crowd prevented them from moving. They yelled and tried to reach for her, despite her being too far away. Her mom was crying, as was Jude herself. When another Nazi took her brother, Jude ran over to him. He pulled her into his side and tried to get back into the crowd and thereby get to their parents. Edie, and her husband, Jakob, were turned around, but continued walking backwards, lest the crowd trample them.

Jude's older brother Erik pulled her to the side where she would be safe as he tried to run to their parents, his hand outstretched. Two soldiers quickly scooped him up, but they couldn't move him from his place. It was as though something kept him glued to the spot. When they iron fences began to bend, Erik slid forward with both soldiers. Even when more joined the fray Erik wouldn't move. It wasn't until he was bashed over the head sending him and the soldiers to the ground, that things seemed to stop.

The gate that held the walkway shut, however, was bent on itself, nearly completely broken. No one had touched it. With Erik sputtering in the mud, his face wincing as he struggled to stand, Jude ran over to him, dropping to her knees to see if he was okay. Even in obvious pain, he managed a small see-I'm-okay smile. When SS officers moved to separate the pair, Jude sprung to her feet, fire in her gaze.

Her hypnotic green eyes seemed fluorescent as she glared at the bigger men. One of them scoffed, making a move to pick her up. However, he never made it. When Jude raised a hand, the SS officer went flying into the brick of the building behind them. She turned once more to look at her brother to make sure he was all right. Unfortunately, that maneuver left her open for attack, which someone took advantage of knocking her into unconsciousness.

When Jude came to with a throbbing headache she was locked in a small room with bars on the window and a completely wooden door. There were two cots in the small room, along with a bucket for when nature called. Looking around she noticed that she was all alone, that thought sent her running towards the door, banging on it with all her might.

"Erik!" Jude screamed. "Mama! Papa!"

No one came to the young girl's aid, and she quickly tired herself out banging and kicking at the door. She threw herself to the floor and began to cry. Her head hurt, her clothes had been replaced with a threadbare dress that smelled like it had been washed in garbage. When the door opened, Jude tried to run out but she knocked into someone being shoved back inside.

"Erik!" Jude yelped, immediately fusing herself to her brother.

Erik rubbed her back put pulled away to lay on a cot. His actions confused Jude, even in the darkest times in the ghetto; Erik had made time to play with her, talk to her. Now, he was on the cot with his back to her. Jude froze where she was when she realized he was crying, his shoulder's shook as he tried not to sob.

"Erik?" Jude whispered.

"Be quiet, Judith," Erik ordered harshly.

Jude's lower lip quivered as she sat on her own cot, willing her brother to look at her. Almost no one called her Judith, unless she had done something wrong. Some of the older men in the ghetto called her by her given name, but they had done that to everyone. Which, Jude guessed was a right that they had afforded themselves being members of the few who took it upon themselves to teach the younger generations.

"What happened?" Jude tried.

For a moment, she thought that Erik was ignoring her. Instead he sniffled, rolling over and dropping something to the floor. Jude got up to pick it up a coin. She recognized the familiar markings of a the currency of their country and frowned at her brother. This coin, was what had her brother so upset?

Before she could ask what this coin had to do with anything, the door was thrown open. A burly SS officer strode in and grabbed Jude's arm harshly enough to leave bruises. She let out a small squeak of discomfort as the officer began to walk them to the door.

"Let her go!" Erik ordered sharply, attempting to pull her sister from the officer's grip.

"Don't try anything, boy," The officer sneered. "You do, and she'll be the one who pays for it."

Erik's eyes became steely, glaring at the officer. He wanted badly to protect his sister, but he knew that there were no such thing as idle threats. Not anymore. The death of their mother had been proof enough of that. Judith clamped her mouth shut, unwilling to acknowledge the fact that the soldier was hurting her. She also wanted to show Erik that she was okay. Jude maintained eye contact with him until the officer slammed the door. It was obvious that the man didn't care that Jude was half his size, and thus had to run to keep up with his long strides otherwise she would fall. She had a sneaking suspicion that if she were to fall, he'd just keep walking.

Just when Jude began to wonder exactly where they were going, they arrived at another door. The Nazi knocked and waited for the voice on the inside to respond. When that happened he opened the door, shoved Jude inside, and shut it once more. Jude skidded into the room, barely managing to stay upright.

"Hello, Judith."

Looking up she saw a man dressed in a blue pin-striped suit. His hair was gelled back and black glasses were perched on his nose. He was smiling at her, and while the smile seemed nice, Jude couldn't help but think that there was something lurking under that grin, something bad.

"That was quite the display you and your brother put on," The man stated. "I'm Dr. Klaus Schmidt. Head doctor here at Auschwitz."

Jude glanced around noting that the large room was split in two. One was an office and the other was a lab of some sort, though the lab was in disarray. Metal tools and the metal table were warped and on the floor. There were a few soldiers inside, cleaning up the mess.

"That was Erik's handiwork," Schmidt grinned. "His gift unlocked by experiencing anger and pain. I'm willing to bet that you'll be the same way. Though, I'll give you a chance to show off without doing that."

"What are you talking about?" Jude asked.

"You broke that man's ribs without even touching him," Schmidt continued. "You have a gift similar to Erik's. It makes sense."

"Sir, that was the first time something like this ever happened," Jude insisted. "I don't know how."

"Try," Schmidt cajoled. He placed at apple on the desk. "Move the apple."

This how conversation was one of the weirdest that Jude had in a while. Though, something felt different ever since that situation hours ago. It was beyond the realm of possibility but she felt different. Jude extended a hand, willing the apple to move. It would be nice for it to move in to her hand, maybe she'd get to eat it. Jude couldn't even remember the last time she had an apple. After willing the fruit to move, her shoulder's slumped forward, she couldn't get the fluke that had happened once to happen again.

"Such a shame," Schmidt tsked. "Your mother is dead."

"What?" Jude gasped.

"I shot her," Schmidt said easily. "When your brother failed to move a coin. Let's see if those abilities of yours can perform under pressure."

Schmidt's face merged from a friendly veneer to a scolding one. Like he had been forced to shoot her mother. Like it was Erik's fault, instead of the man responsible for pulling the trigger. Schmidt moved to ring a bell that looked like it had seen better days. Schmidt stopped, however, when he noticed the young girl in front of him. Her green eyes seemed brighter and bigger. Before he could move to ring the bell, the apple flew off the desk and into Jude's hand.

"Outstanding," Schmidt praised, ignoring the child's surprised look. "We're going to have a lot of fun you and I."


	2. Get Your Hands Dirty

**Chapter Two: Get Your Hands Dirty**

**September 13, 1962: Lyon, France**

Eva Brand was a proud woman. She had been apart of the Nazi regime in Germany, and had once been a feared. Respected. Eva was the head female overseer of Auschwitz-Birkenau, responsible for the female prisoners. Her ruthlessness had been rewarded; no one had been given an once of sympathy. She was supposedly directly responsible for the deaths of over five hundred thousand female prisoners. The only person Eva had to answer to was the commandant of the camps, though she couldn't give any man an order, as she was technically ranked lower tha all men in the Nazi party.

One didn't get to be in a position with that kind of power by being meek. Eva had always spoken her mind. She reacted and was respected for those reactions. Which, was one of the reasons why, she was almost never out of her comfort zone. This seemed to be a first for the woman. In fact she was so far out of her comfort zone that she didn't even know where she was.

Her head hurt, she was barefoot, and she was bound to a chair. Eva noticed that it was some kind of warehouse, with the chair she was tied to in the middle of the room. She thought she was alone, until she heard high heels clicking on the concrete.

Judith was the type of woman who turned heads. It wasn't her stature; she was extremely petite, her skin pale, her green eyes slightly too big for her small pixie like face. It was the way she carried herself that drew attention, an innate sense of pride and self-confidence that made others understand that this woman commanded respect. Her dark brown hair was long flowed down her back in thick waves. Despite the heat, she was dressed entirely in black her dress slightly tighter and shorter than society deemed acceptable.

"Who are you?" Eva barked when Jude stopped close to the chair. "What do you want?"

"I want Schmidt," Jude said. "Klaus Schmidt."

"How am I supposed to know?"

"Oddly enough, I don't believe you."

"Who are you?"

"You don't remember me?" Jude asked. "Mrs. Brand, I'm hurt."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"People called you the beast," Jude said. Trying to jog the older woman's memory. "You gave me this?" Jude lifted her face up revealing a jagged scar on the side of her forehead. "To teach me to respect my betters. Dr. Schmidt was very upset for you for that."

Brand paled trying to free herself from the ropes that kept her pinned to the chair, her cruel blue eyes were suddenly fearful. Something that Jude never thought she'd she on the head female officer of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Eva Brand had never thought that someone would come after her. When Auschwitz had been liberated by the Soviet's she had escaped into France, and had been on the run ever since. Eva remembered little Judith Lehnsherr or 214798 and her brother, Erik: 214682. Those two numbers were burned into her brain. She had been in charge of watching those two freaks at night. Schmidt had told her that if they escaped he would kill her…slowly. So, what if she smacked both of them around a bit? It wasn't like they hadn't had worse from the good doctor himself.

"Freak," Eva hissed.

"You do remember," Jude grinned. "Now the question is are you going to get out of this lovely little warehouse alive."

Jude's smile became shark-like as she sneered down at the woman who had beaten her mercilessly at every opportunity. She'd be lying if she said that she wasn't enjoying her position of power. For once the only person who would be hurt was the woman responsible for the murders of nearly five hundred thousand women and children.

"I'm not giving you any information," Eva sneered. "You might as well just kill me."

"Now where would the fun be in that?" Jude laughed. "You're going to tell me."

"Why?" Eva retorted. "You're going to kill me regardless."

"That's very, very true," Jude acknowledged, dropping down into the chair across from Eva so that she could look her right in the eye. "But, it's up to you if your death is quick and painless…or agonizing."

Eva firmed her mouth as sneered at Jude, clearly unimpressed with the threat. Jude, for her part wasn't phased by the refusal, honestly she had been hoping for this. She didn't want this cruel woman to die a quick death. She didn't deserve it. The only warning Eva had that something was wrong was how Jude's eyes seemed bigger…clearer…brighter before a loud crack echoed through the room. Despite herself Eva let out a small cry.

"Incase you were wondering that was your left pinkie finger," Jude said, conversationally. "Now, as I was saying quick and easy. Or Plan B, which, might I add, is a personal favorite of mine, I start breaking your fingers one by one. When I run out of fingers, I'll start on your toes, then your legs, arms. Basically we'll get to see what a person looks like when every single bone in their body is broken. And if you hold out longer than that, I can always start pulling out your teeth."

The once ruthless woman went white as a sheet as she stared at Jude in horror. Jude guessed it was easier for the woman to inflict pain rather than have it inflicted. When Eva didn't respond, probably still in shock from Jude explaining her plan another finger snapped.

"Well?" Jude prompted.

When Eva still didn't say a word Jude shrugged. "Okay, you tell me when you're ready."

Jude was just about to break Eva's index finger when finally the woman broke, gasping and sobbing, "Please, stop."

True to her word, Jude stilled her movement, which was only tilting her hand as she gazed at Eva who was getting her breathing back under control.

"Please, I don't know where he is," Brand gasped. "But, I know who would. It's a bank in Geneva, Switzerland. The manager James Faulkner would know where Schmidt is."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?"

Eva sneered, looking for a moment like the forbidding woman that had lorded her power over the female inmates of Auschwitz-Birkenau. "You don't."

Fortunately, Jude wasn't the same terrified child she use to be. Instead her confidence had soared, supported by her telekinetic abilities. With another subtle twist of her right hand, another dry crack was heard; this time it was her wrist and her thumb. The pain was dizzying.

The former Nazi slumped forward, realizing that she couldn't keep doing this. That the hatred Jude felt towards her would be enough for the twenty year old to kill her with no hesitation. The scenario that Jude had laid out earlier had seemed so ridiculous but Eva now knew was one hundred percent factual.

"I'm telling you the truth," Eva whispered.

"Time for you to pay for your sins, Frau Brand," Jude stated, firmly.

Eva Brand never had time to react to those words as Jude twisted her wrist. The movement was mimicked by Brand as her neck snapped. Letting the older woman go, Brand's lifeless body slumped forward.

**Two Days Later (Geneva, Switzerland) Jude's Point of View**

The sun was high in the sky as I made my way to the bank. I had done my research on this small bank located right off downtown Geneva. Apparently the bank was perfectly fine with underhanded dealings. Like selling Nazi gold, something that was illegal everywhere. The Holocaust a rather bleak spot in European History, the scars of that event, as well as World War Two was still easily seen if you knew what to look for.

My hair was up in a French twist and I was wearing black business suit. The skirt was of the pencil variety, hitting my knees. I wore a white blouse underneath the blazer walking straight towards the bank. My heels clicked on the stone steps as I made my way inside.

"May I help you?" The receptionist asked a head set over her head.

"Mr. Faulkner, please," I replied. "He's expecting me."

"Yes, of course," The receptionist nodded. "Go on back."

"Thank you," I said before walkin into the back room.

What the receptionist failed to mention that there was already someone waiting for Mr. Faulkner. It was a sharply dressed man, wearing a three piece gray suit and a purple tie. He held an orange briefcase on his lap. Even sitting down it was clear that he was extremely tall. The sight of his icy blue eyes had me jerking to a stop. I may not have seen my brother in at least a month or two but I could spot him from a mile away.

As I was staring at Erik, he was doing the same. Only, while I was surprised, his gaze was furious. I winced away from the look, ready for whatever could happen when the office doors opened.

"Ah, Mr. Braun, right this way," Mr. Faulkner stated.

Damn, I guess Erik actually had made an appointment instead of lying to the receptionist.

"And, you are?" Mr. Faulkner wondered, looking at me.

"My associate," Erik said. "She'll be fine waiting here."

I didn't come all the way over here just to be waiting outside this asshole's office. Unfortunately, there wasn't anyone in this world who knew me better than Erik, which was why one stern look from him had me closing my mouth in a mutinous line. Faulkner shut the door once Erik stepped into the room, and while it was a heavy wooden door it didn't muffle everything that came from the office. It was only a matter of time before the conversation in that office went from civil to intimidating. And I was one hundred percent certain that it wouldn't be Mr. Faulkner doing the threatening.

Not even ten minutes later, Erik came out of the office, his eyes gleaming with victory and fading anger. He spared me a glance as he dropped the brick of gold back into his briefcase. I noticed he held something between his thumb and forefinger as he walked past me. It was clear that he expected me to follow him, and I did so with a just barely restrained eye roll.

Erik collected his coat and hat before walking back into the cool Geneva air. I had no idea where I was going, only that Erik still expected me to be behind him, judging by how he looked back every so often. Eventually we walked through a hotel lobby and into a room on the third floor. I bit back a small grin; we had been staying at the same hotel. When the door slammed shut, Erik spun on me, backing me right into the wall.

"Would it kill you to listen to simple instructions?" Erik demanded harshly, glaring down at me.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I replied.

"I told you specifically to wait in France," Erik snapped. "Damn it, Judith this is dangerous."

"Oh, really?" I scoffed. "I'd gathered that from hunting down former Nazis to get to the one man who destroyed our lives."

"How'd you even find out about Faulkner anyway?" Erik asked.

"I ran into an old guard," I smirked. "She spilled his location."

"And that guard?" Erik prodded.

"An unfortunate heart attack," I stated. "Such a shame."

"You're not going to stay where I leave you," Erik frowned. It was more a statement than a question both Lehnsherr siblings knew that.

"I told you when you started this whole thing," I said. "I'm not letting you do this alone. Erik, please, I'm not a kid anymore."

"You'll always be a kid to me," Erik huffed. "But, fine I'd rather have you where I can protect you then sneaking around."

"Thank you," I whispered.

"But you do what I tell you," Erik growled. "When I tell you."

Sensing that Erik would only accept one answer, I rolled my eyes before I nodded in agreement. With that matter settled, he drew me into his arms giving me a hug. I wrapped my own arms around his waist, pressing my cheek against his chest. The steady thump of his heart was one of the few things that gave me comfort.

"Where are you staying?" Erik asked pulling away.

"Two floors up," I replied.

"Go get your stuff, we're leaving tonight."

I nodded in agreement before slipping out of the door and running up to my room. It took only five minutes to pack up all my belongings and be back in Erik's room. With my bags in hand, I used my abilities to open the door and shut it again. Erik locked the door from where he stood eyeing the wall. I walked open, staring at the maps and pictures. This had been years of work.

"What did you find out?" I asked as Erik crossed out Eva Brand and Faulkner's faces.

"Argentina," Erik stated. "Schmidt is in Argentina."


End file.
